Insert pump



1961 N. N. KNABE ETAL 2,994,278

INSERT PUMP Filed July 5, 1957 INVENTOR. Narben /V Knabe BY John A. Knabe 7770/1725J Knabe United States Patent O 2,994278 INSERT PUMP Norbert N. Knabe, Jahn A. Knabe, and Thomas J. Knabe, all of Rte. 1, Muenster, Tex. Filed July 5, 1957, Sex. N0. 670,246 2 Claims. (Cl. 103-155) This invention relates to impravements in oil weil pumping apparatus and mare particularly, bat nat by way af limitatian, ta an attachment far utilization with a recipracating type insert pump.

Many praducing oil wells taday are provided with recipracating insert pumps disposed in the lower portian af the oil well tubing in order ta mave ar elevate the oil fram the oil reservair at the battom af the well bare ta the surface af the ground. Mauy af the fiuid reservairs contain oil cantaminated with sand and ather abrasive particles that are very detrimental ta the warking arts of the recipracal pump. The abrasive actian of the sand, and the like, wears away the sealing members and soon renders the pump ineflicient in operatian so that it must be pulled from the well tubing and repaired or replaced. It will be apparent that this is a 'u'me cansuming and expensive pracess, particularly when it is pausidered that the pump is aften lacated several thau sand feet below the surface cf the ground.

The present inventian cantemplates an attachment for utilizatian with an insert type pump particularly designed and constructed ta direct the oil salutian fram the fluid I l reservair in the well bare inta the well tubing far elevaf tian ta the surface in such a manner that "the oil fiuid itself is never braught inta contact with the warking parts of: the pump. Thus, sand and ather detrimental fareign particles cannat damage the pump ar cause an ineflicient operation thereaf. The 1ife af the pump is greatly prolonged, and the upkeep and repair thereta is greatly reduced, thereby providing far an ecanomical aperatian ar' the pump far producing the oil fram the well bare.

It is an impartant abject af this invention to pravide a navel attachment for oil well insert pumps in Order ta move the oil fluid from the well bare inta the well tubing far elevating ta the surface af the well.

It is anather abject af this invention ta provide a navel attachment far an oil well insert pump so designed and constructed to praduce oil fram the well bare in a manner ta preclude cantamination af the pump with sand particles and ather abrasive material which may be present in the fluid.

'Anather abject af this inventian is to pravide an attachment for insert pumps far discharging the oil fluid into the Wall tubing in a manner to substantially preclude the accumulatian af carrasian, and the like, in the inner surface af the well tubing, thereby facilitating the production af oil fram the well bare.

And still anather abject af tbis inventian is ta pravide an attachment far insert pumps which is simple and eflicient in aperatian and ecanomical and durable in canstructian.

Other abjects and advantages af the inventian will be evident from the fallawing detailed description, read in canjunctian with the accampanying drawings, which illustrate our inventian.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a braken vertical sectianal view of the lower partion of an oil pump attachment embadying the invention and installed in a well tubing.

FIGURE 1A is a braken vertical elevational view partly in sectian of he upper partion af the attachment shawn in FIG. 1.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevatianal view af a portian of the pump attachment af the invention.

2,994,278 Patented Aug. l, 1961 Referring ta the drawings in detail, reference character 10 indicates the well casing ar tubing narmally extending throughaut the length cf a well bare (nat shawn). The Wall tubing 10 usually extends dawnwardly in the well bare -to a depth belaw the tap af the oil reservair (nat shawn) in arder that the oil from the oil bearing formatian ar oil reservoir may be accumulated by natural flow withinthe well casing far elevatian therefram ta the surfaae af the graund. A standing valve, generally indicated at 12, and having a longitudinal bare 14 extending therethraugh, is usually disposed in the praximity af the lower end af the tubing 10 and extends dawnwardly within the casing ta a pasition belaw the surface af the oil reservoir so that the lower end af the bare 14 is in cammunicatian With the oil ar fluid accumulated in the casing. A plurality af suitable annular sealing cups 16 are pravided an the auter periphery af the standing valve 12 far sealing against the inner periphery of the tubing 10 and functian ta retain the standing valve 12 securely therein. The upper partian of the valve 12 is pravided With a suitable valve seat insert member 18 far receiving a ball valve member 20 which rests an the valve seat portian 18 in a narmally clased pasitian far the valve.

A sleeve ar tubular hausing member 22 is threadedly cannected at 24 to the standing valve 12 and extends upwardly therefiram ta encase the ball valve 20 and seat 1-8, and pravides a chamber 26 thereabave. An insert hausing member 28 is threadedly secured at 30 to the upper and af the sleeve 22 and extends upwardly int0 cannection at 32 with a tubular Sand accumulatian chamber 34. A suitable recipracal type insert pump and hausing therefar, generally indicated at 36, is suitably secured ta the upper and af the accumulatian chamber 34, and extends upwardly therefram within the tubing 10. The insert hausing 28 pravides cammunicatian between the chamber 26 and the interiar 40 af the accumulation chamber. In additian, the insert member 28 provides communicatian between the interiar chamber 40 and the annular space 42 between the sleeve member 22 and the tubing 10, as will be hereinafter set farth.

The insert member 28 comprises a main hausing portian 44 af substantially cylindrical canfiguratian, and having a reduced sleeve member 46 extending downwardly within the sleeve 22. A tubular retaining sleeve member 48 is threadedly inserted in the lower end af the reduced sleeve 46 ta retain a tubular valve seat member 50 and valve ball 52 therein. The ball member 52 narmally rests an the valve seat member 50 in a narmally clased positian, as shawn in the drawings. .A dawnwardly extending stop member 54 is pravided within the reduced sleeve 46 far limiting the upward mavement af the ball 52. A plurah'ty af circumferentially spaced angular bares 56 extend upwardly in the body 30 ta pravide cammunicatian between the interiar af the sleeve 46 and the annular space 42, far a purpase as will be hereinafter set farth.

A plurality af circumferentially spaced longitudinal bares 58 are pravided in the body 30, and are interpased between the angular bares 56 ta preclude interference therebetween. The bares 58 extend upward thraugh the body 30 ta pravide commum'catian between the chamber 26 and an enlarged internal longitudinal bare 60 pravidecl in the upper end af the body member 30. The bare 60, in turn, extends into cammunicatian with the interiar chamber 40 af the accumulatian chamber sleeve 34.

Operation The standing valve 12 is installed at the battom af the wall casing in any suitable manner weil known in the art, with the sleeve member- 22, insert member 28, accumulatian chamber 34 and reeiprocal pump 36 extending upwardly therefrom, as hereinbefore set forth. The pump, generally indicated at 36, is usua]ly reciprocated by meaus of a string cf rods (not shown) extending downwardly in the well tubing into communication With the pump. The upstroke cf the pump creates a suction or vaeuum therebelow which is communicated through the accumulation chamber 34 and bores 60 and 58 to the chamber 26 adjacent the standing valve 12. The pressure within the chamber 26 is thus lowered -to a pressure below the pressure present in the fluid reservoir. The pressure of the fluid in thebofe 14 of the valve 12 will, therefore, act upwardly against the lower portion of the ball 20 exposed thereto for lifting the ball and opening the valve 12. The -fluid will fill the chamber 26 and flow upwardly through the bores 58 into the bore 60 and will tend to fi1l the interior chamber 40 of the accumulation sleeve member 34. -Tbe sleeve member 34 is preferably constructed of a length in accordance with the working capacity of the pump to assure that the vFluid will move upwardly within the chamber 40 a distance sh'ghrly less than the overall length thereof, thus precluding any coutact of the fluid With the pump 36 itself.

'Ihe downstroke cf the pump 36 will increase the pressure on the surface of the fluid within the chamber 40, thereby pushing the fluid downwardly to increase the pressure within the chamber 26. The fluid cannot flow downwardly out of the chamber 26 since the ba1l 20 will be forced against the seat 18 to close the valve 12. Thus, the increased pressure within the chamber 26 will be directed upwardly through the tubular member 48 and va1ve seat member 50 to act on the lower surface of the ball member 52 raise it 011 the seat member 50 and permit the fluid to flow upwardly within ruhe reduced sleeve member 46. The fluid in the sleeve 46 Will be forced upwardly through the angular bares 56 and discharged therefrom into the annular space 42.

It will be apparent from FIG. 1 that the augular coufiguration of the bores 56 is so designed that the fluid is discharged therefrom into the armular space 42 in a radially outward and downward path whereby the fluid stn'kes the inner periphery of the casing 10 with sufficient force to maintain the interior Walls of 1the casing clean and fi'ee cf accumulations of debris and corrosion. The body member 30 is providedwith an annular groove portion 62 (FIG. 2) 011 the outer periphery thereof adjacent the open euds of the bores 56 to facilitate the discharge of fluid therefrom. Furthermore, 1he downward force of the -fluid discharged into the annular spaee 42 eflt'ects a cleaning action for the va1ve sealing eups 16 to preclude the collection of corrosion, and the like, thereon.

A continued reciprocation of the pump 36 Will coustantly move the fluid from the reservoir into the accumulation chamber 34 and downwardly out of the chamber 34 for discharge into the annulus 42. The continual movement of the fluid into the annulus Will cause the fluid therein to rise to the surface 01 the wel1 casing or tubing 10 to be delivered from the we]l for storage, or the like. At 110 time does the fluid, which normally contains sand and other abrasive foreigu particles, come into contact with the reciprocating or working parts cf the pump, thereby greatly prolonging the eificient life thereof, and reducing the maintenance required therefor.

From the foregoing, it will be appareut that the present invention provides a novel attachment for increasing the eificiency and useful life of a reciprocating type insert pump in a we1l bare. 'I'he novel attaehment is particularly designed and constructed to move 011 or fiuid from a fluid reservoir into the well tubing for elevation to the surface cf the we]l in a manner whereby the fluid is never brought into contaot with the werking pavts of the pump, thereby precludiug any abrasive action of the reciprocating members thereof due to the ,sand and other foreign particles present in the fluid.

The novel apparaius prorrides anaceumulation ehamber 4 for receiving the fluid below the pump, and thus assures that the fluid will not be moved into the pump itse1f. The attachment is simple and efficient in operation and durable and economical in construction.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrange ment of arts as heretofore set fo1'th in the specification and shown in the drawings, it being understood that any modification in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of the following clajms without departing from the spirit of the iuvention.

We c1aim:

1. In combiuation with a well tubing having a fluid reservoir in the lower por tion thereof, a standing valve disposed in the well tubing and extending into the fluid reservoir, sealing means provided between the standing valve and the inner periphery of the we1l -tubing, a reciprocating pump spaced above the valve, an insert body member interposed between the valve and the pump, an anuular space provided above the sealing means and between the insert body member and the wel1 tubing, a lower chamber provided between the body member and the valve, an upper chamber provided between the body member and the pump, passageway means in the body member providing commuuication between the upper and 1ower chambers, a check valve carried by the insert body, angular passageway means in the body providing communication between the lower chamber and the annular space in the open position of the check valve, said first mentioned passageway means cooperating with the pump to alternately lower and iucrease the pressure in the lower chamber upon reciprocation of the pump, said lowered pressure causing the standing valve 10 open for receiving fluid from the reservoir, said fluid caused to move into the upper chamber by the lowered pressure, said increased pressure acting on the fluid in the upper chamber to discharge the fluid from the lower chamber and upwardly through the check valve and angular passageway means and then downwardly into the annular space for elevation cf the fluid to the surface of the well tubing, and said upper chamber accumulat- 5 ing said well fluid dun'ng the decrease in pump pressure out of contact with the pump.

2. In combination with a well tubing having a reciprocating pump provided therein, a standing valve disposed in the lower portion of the tubing and extending downwardly into a fiuid reservoir, a tubular housing mem-' ber secured to the stauding valve and extending up- Wardly therefrom to provide a lower chamber thereabove, an annular space provided between the housing member and the well tllbing, an insert body member secured to the upper end of the housing member and extending downwardly therein into communicatiou with the lower chamber, a second tubular housing member interposed -between the body member and the pump to provide an upper chamber, passageway means provided in the body member providing communication between 4;he upper and lower chambers, augular passageway means provided in the body member providing communication between the lower cha.mber and the annular space, said reciprocating action of said pump providing for a1- ternate opening and clos'mg of said valve, said open position for said valve permitting wel1 fluid to flow into the lower and upper chambers, said reciprocation of said pump acting 011 the fluid in the 'upper chamber to discharge the fluid upwardly through the angular passageway means and then downwardly into the annular space for elevation to the surface of the wel1 tubing, said upper chamber providiug an accumulation -chamber for precluding eontact of the Wall fluid with 1he pump during the reciprocation thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 246,692 Schreiber Sept. 6, 1881 (Other references on following page) 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,807741 Blood Apr. 21, 1896 1364914 Gahagan Dec 9, 1902 7 Watson Apr. 11, 1905 2,065,541 Devolld Apr. 14, 1925 5 7 Oeder Oct. 21, 1930 6 Kniss et a1. June 2, 1931 Kniss et a1. June28, 1932 Vickers May 23, 1933 Shaifer et a1. Dec. 29, 1936 Montgomery et a1. Oct. 25, 1938 

